Story misrepresents Muslim holy month

I wanted to thank the IDS for running a story on the Islamic month of Ramadhan and telling people about the great significance that it has in the Islamic faith ("Muslim holiday begins today," Nov. 27). However, I wanted to correct some small but significant errors in the article.\nAt the very beginning of the article, it says, "Thousands of people around the world will not eat or drink for the next 30 days." The truth is that there are millions, not thousands, of Muslims all around the world, and more importantly Muslims don't starve themselves for an entire month. Muslims fast (i.e. abstain from eating and drinking) during the month of Ramadhan every day from sunrise to sunset. \nIn other words, we are allowed to eat during the night. This is a very important factor because otherwise people will think Muslims belong to a religion that is impractical and calls for harmful measures against one's body. I think if Muslims didn't eat or drink for the whole month there wouldn't even be thousands of Muslims, but rather only dozens left. Islam is a very practical religion that teaches self-discipline, patience and obedience to God, in all parts of its faith -- and fasting during Ramadhan is just one way of doing so.\nSecondly, to call Ramadhan a holiday is not very accurate. It is an entire month dedicated to improving one's self and exemplifying the concept of devotion to the will of God. "Holiday" implies that it's only a time of celebration and relaxation. But, in reality, Muslims are required to carry on with their lives, work and education as they would on a daily basis, while fasting and spending extra time in prayers and worship. \nOnce again, I thank the IDS for covering this holy month, but respectfully ask that it makes sure that the basic teachings of the month are not distorted, even if it is unintentional, such as in this case.